Welding wire feeder systems are commonly integrated with or used in conjunction with an arc welder to feed a wire electrode to a workpiece. Typically, the wire feeder is used in conjunction with a GMAW or FCAW arc welding process. The normal welding environment is a severe test for welding equipment, especially portable wire feeders. Wire feeders are often dropped, bombarded with sparks from grinding, placed on hot welds and used as step stools and props. Over time, this harsh treatment degrades both the appearance and integrity of a wire feeder's exterior housing or case. It would be highly desirable to replace the case of a wire feeder once it degrades, particularly if the wire feeder is owned by a rental agency.
To date, it has generally been difficult to replace a degraded wire feeder case without disassembling the feeder's functional or electrical components.
The described invention allows for a wire feeder capable of accepting more than one housing (also known as a case or a skin). The wire feeder is designed in a manner such that the entire internal wire feeder assembly may be easily removed from one housing and placed into another. The housings may be made of plastic, carbon fiber, sheet metal or a combination thereof, as well as other known materials.